Battle of Nanjun

The Battle of Nanjun was fought in 208 AD between the besieging armies of Sun Quan and Liu Bei and the defending army of Cao Cao's general Cao Ren. Zhou Yu was unable to take Nanjun, but Liu Bei's strategist Zhuge Liang succeeded, winning control of Jing Province for Liu Bei.

Background
Following the destruction of Cao Cao's massive navy at the Battle of Chibi in the winter of 208 AD, Liu Bei and his strategist Zhuge Liang camped at Youkou at the mouth of the You River. Sun Quan's strategist Zhou Yu realized that Liu Bei encamped at Youkou because he wished to attack the major Jing Province city of Nanjun, and Zhou Yu and Lu Su set out for Youkou with 3,000 light horse. He told Liu Bei of Sun Quan's intention to capture Nanjun, but Liu Bei warned him that Cao Ren was holding the city; he also said that, if Sun Quan's forces could not take the city, his own forces would. Zhou Yu promised that, if his army could not take Nanjun, Liu Bei's could, and Liu Bei held him to his word.

Jiang Qin's attack
While Liu Bei strengthened his defenses at Youkou, Zhou Yu assembled his force. Jiang Qin commanded the vanguard, while Xu Sheng and Ding Feng helped to command his 5,000-strong force. Cao Ren ordered Cao Hong to guard Yiling and thus threaten Zhou Yu's flank, and Cao Ren initially sought to fight a defensive battle. His general Niu Jin asked for 500 troops to show the defenders' mettle and raise the morale of Cao Ren's troops, so Cao Ren allowed for Niu Jin to strike out of the city. Ding Feng lured him into a trap with a feigned retreat, and Niu Jin was then outflanked and surrounded. Cao Ren and his own company of horsemen sortied out of Nanjun and rescued Niu Jin from the encirclement, and, with the help of Niu Jin's force and Cao Chun's reinforcements, Cao Ren defeated Jiang Qin's force.

Battle of Yiling
Zhou Yu prepared for another assault which he would lead in person, but Gan Ning volunteered to attack Yiling with 3,000 troops. Cao Ren's aid Chen Jiao advised him to send help quickly. Cao Hong sortied out of Yiling, but Gan Ning overcame him and conquered the city. However, Cao Chun and Niu Jin came up with additional forces and surrounded Gan Ning in the recently-captured city. Lu Meng volunteered to help Zhou Yu relieve Gan Ning, leaving Ling Tong in command of the main camp. Zhou Yu left with 10,000 troops, and Lu Meng sent a party to barricade the road to Nanjun to prevent Cao Cao's forces from escaping. Zhou Tai was then sent to cut through the besiegers and enter Yiling, where he informed Gan Ning that Zhou Yu was arriving with aid. Cao Hong, Cao Chun, and Niu Jin prepared to repel the assailants, but they were attacked by Gan Ning and Zhou Tai on two sides. The three generals were forced to abandon their forces at the barricade and flee on foot, and they lost 500 horses and much of their army. Zhou Yu and his army then came upon Cao Ren and his army as they marched to save Yiling, and they fought until Cao Ren withdrew into the city.

Assault on Nanjun
The next day, Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu prepared a two-pronged assault on Nanjun, and Han Dang defeated Cao Hong in a duel and forced him to flee. Cao Ren then came out to assist Cao Hong, and he fought Zhou Tai to a draw. Cao Ren's army fell into confusion, and Zhou Yu had both of his wings advance, smiting and defeating Cao Ren's army. Zhou Yu pursued Cao Ren to the city wall, but Cao Ren decided to withdraw northwest of the city, and Zhou Yu's army pursued him. While Han Dang and Zhou Tai pursued Cao Ren, Zhou Yu entered Nanjun, but Chen Jiao led an ambush of archers and fired arrows and bolts at him. Zhou Yu was wounded in the left side and fell to the ground, and Xu Sheng and Ding Feng rushed into the city to rescue him from Niu Jin. Cao Ren's troops then rushed out of the city and created confusion among Zhou Yu's troops, and only Ling Tong's arrival bore back the assailants. Cao Ren led his forces back into the city, while Zhou Yu and his army marched back into the camp. Three days later, Niu Jin attempted to challenge Zhou Yu and his army to battle, but Cheng Pu refused. Zhou Yu eventually discovered Cheng Pu's refusal to fight and donned his armor, challenging Cao Ren to battle. Zhou Yu pretended to die as Pan Zhang rode out to fight Cao Ren's troops, provoking Cao Ren to launch a full-on assault. Zhou Yu spread rumors that he had died, hoping to provoke Cao Ren into launching a night raid on his camp. Cao Ren, Niu Jin, Cao Chun, and Cao Hong rode out as Chen Jiao guarded Nanjun, and they were ambushed upon their arrival at Zhou Yu's camp. Cao Ren dared not return to Nanjun and instead withdrew towards Xiangyang along the main road. With Cao Ren defeated, Zhou Yu decided to march into Nanjun.

Zhuge Liang's trickery
However, Zhou Yu and Cheng Pu found that Zhao Yun had already occupied the city; Zhou Yu initially sought to assault the city, but showers of arrows from the defenders drove away his army. He also sent Gan Ning to take Jingzhou and Ling Tong to take Xiangyang, but they found that Zhang Fei had occupied Xiangyang when its garrison left to help Cao Ren, and that Guan Yu had taken Jingzhou when Xiahou Dun abandoned the city to help Cao Ren. Zhou Yu was angered to hear that Zhuge Liang had taken over Jing Province with little effort, as Sun Quan's forces had been the ones to fight on the battlefields; his anger was so great that his wound opened and he nearly died. Zhou Yu was then ordered to assist Sun Quan in his siege at Hefei, and he withdrew to Chaisang with his army.